Orlando City's soccer players get kick out of social media

4:04 p.m. EST, May 4, 2012|By J.C. Carnahan, Sentinel correspondent

On the day of the NCAA men's college basketball title game last month, Rob Valentino tweeted in disbelief to 425 followers that teammate John Rooney was going to win the Orlando City Soccer Club's bracket pool.

The funny thing is that Rooney (@johnroo1663), the brother of English soccer standout Wayne Rooney, doesn't follow college hoops. And despite having 12,763 Twitter followers, he hardly utilizes the social-media platform.

The tweet by Valentino (@rob_valentino) shows the kind of fun Orlando City's players are having with social media. The Lions (3-0-1) will host the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-3) in a USL Pro division match at 7:30 Saturday night at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

"I like to get on there and wind some people up," defender Luke Boden (@bodz1988) said with a grin. "It's some good fun to have between the lads."

Like most Lions players, Watson uses Facebook and Twitter to interact with fans and keep up with other athletes, celebrities and news.

"When people send me messages, I make it a point to say something back,'' Watson said. "It wasn't long ago that I was in their position and looking up to my favorite athletes.''

Watson sends out humorous tweets about teammates and has given away tickets and shoes to followers.

"Fans get to feel like they are more a part of what's going on with the team,'' he said. "When they go to the game, they feel like they know you a little better.''

Forward Matt Luzunaris (@mattluzu32) uses Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch with family and friends, most importantly his fiancee in Seattle. After another round of chemotherapy, Austen Everett is scheduled to undergo a stem-cell transplant in June.

"The fans on there have been a really good support system," Luzunaris said. "They definitely support us and show us some love, so we show some love back."